Unemployment continues decline

South Florida’s unemployment in July declined with rates as low as 4.1 percent in Broward County, and job growth was up throughout the region.

“We continue to see growth in the payroll survey. It tells us Florida’s economy is still hot,” said Mekael Teshome, Florida economist for PNC Bank.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties added the highest numbers of education and health services jobs in the state, and Palm Beach County stood out in leisure and hospitality jobs in one of the most sweltering months of the year.

“Even in the traditionally slower summer season, the job market remains strong,” said Steve Craig, president of CareerSource Palm Beach County, the county’s workforce development agency.

The state as a whole has a jobless rate of 4.1 percent, which is below the national rate of 4.3 percent. The seasonally adjusted rate was unchanged from June, when the state hit a 10-year low in unemployment. The industry gaining the most jobs was construction, up 7.5 percent over a year ago.

Teshome said Florida had a net gain of 32,700 jobs in July, which was the second-largest gain in the state since January.

Sean Snaith, economist for the University of Central Florida, called the July report “solid.”

“It’s hard to find fault in the July report. Florida is still outpacing the national economy,” he said. One reason is that tourism has been “pretty robust,” Snaith said.

Tourism was up 8.7 percent for the first half of the year, Discover the Palm Beaches recently said. Other South Florida officials were optimistic about reaching another record year in tourism.

In Broward County, unemployment was 4.1 percent, down from 4.8 percent a year ago.

The county added 30,000 jobs, an increase of 3.7 percent over the year. Broward created 6,400 jobs in education and health services, 6,000 in business and professional services, 4,400 in construction, 3,400 in trade, transportation and utilities, 3,100 in leisure and hospitality, 2,100 in government, 1,500 in financial activities, and 500 in manufacturing.

The information sector lost 100 jobs over the year.

In Palm Beach County, the jobless rate was 4.5 percent, down from 5.3 percent in July 2016.

The county added 19,700 jobs, an increase of 3.3 percent over the year. Palm Beach County created 6,100 jobs in leisure and hospitality, 5,300 in education and health services, 3,700 in business and professional services, 3,200 in construction, 1,400 in government, and 500 in trade, transportation and utilities.

Financial activities has 1,600 jobs since July 2016.

In Miami-Dade County, unemployment was 4.7 percent in July compared with 5.4 percent a year ago. lost